Funded influenza vaccines for pregnant women and 65+

More options for pregnant women and 65+ to
get funded influenza vaccines

Funded influenza
vaccinations will be available from more community
pharmacies this year.

Most people receive their influenza
vaccination from general practice, and some DHBs have been
trialling funded influenza vaccine through pharmacy in past
years. PHARMAC’s decision now makes it easier for
pharmacies to provide funded influenza vaccine for people 65
and over, and pregnant women from 1 April.

More than a
million New Zealanders receive influenza vaccine each year,
most of them Government-funded. Currently people able to get
Government-funded influenza vaccine include people 65 and
over, pregnant women, and people with chronic conditions
such as asthma, heart disease and diabetes.

“The flu is a serious condition that results in
time off work, hospitalisations and even deaths each
year,” Dr Betty says. “This step aims to make it easier
for people to get a subsidised vaccine, will lift the rate
of influenza vaccination, and reduce the impact of this
highly contagious illness each year.”

“Only
pharmacists who are trained pharmacist vaccinators will be
able to provide a subsidised vaccine. This means that people
can have confidence in the expertise of the person
delivering the vaccine.”

“Feedback on the proposal was
positive from the pharmacy sector and others, but some
feedback questioned the nature of the service shift,” says
Dr Betty.

“We appreciate the feedback we received. We
have shared these views with the Ministry of Health to
consider in the wider context of service delivery and
funding within the system.”

“This step seeks to make
better use of health professionals’ skills, and improve
health services for New Zealanders. This is part of any good
system – ensuring it evolves and adapts to meet the
changing needs of the population.”

Last year, about 1.2
million New Zealanders received an influenza vaccine (funded
and
unfunded).

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